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WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 25: Kristaps Porzingis #8 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts against the Washington Wizards during an Emirates NBA Cup game at Capital One Arena on November 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
For just the second time this season, the Golden State Warriors will roll out the veteran, Kristaps Porzingis.
Ahead of the Warriors’ Saturday night matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Warriors upgraded Porzingis to available. Lately, he’s been out of the lineup due to an illness.
Hours before tip-off, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr addressed the plan for Porzingis on Saturday. He noted that the veteran will indeed have a restriction on his playing time. According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Kerr said Porzingis would see the court for 15-20 minutes.
Anthony Slater
Kristaps Porzingis is expected to play his second game for the Warriors tonight in OKC, per Kerr. Somewhere around 15-20 minutes.
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GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 17: Kristaps Porzingis #8 of the Boston Celtics warms up before Game Five of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericksat TD Garden on June 17, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
The 30-year-old was traded to the Warriors ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline. It was the second time that Porzingis was traded in less than a year.
During the 2025 offseason, the Boston Celtics cut ties with Porzingis, sending him to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team trade. Porzingis played in just 17 games throughout the season for the Hawks. He saw the court for an average of 24.3 minutes per game. The veteran shot 45% from the field and 36% from three to produce 17.1 points per game.
He also came down with 5.1 rebounds per game, while dishing out 2.7 assists per game, prior to the move.
Since joining the Warriors, Porzingis has been battling multiple setbacks.
Before he arrived in California, Porzingis was dealing with a setback. The Warriors didn’t plan to utilize Porzingis until after the All-Star break. The veteran center told the media that he hoped to play without restrictions when the team returned from the break.
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Porzingis was cleared for Golden State’s February 19 games at home against the Boston Celtics. He came off the bench for 17 minutes.
The Porzingis debut was promising. He went 5-9 from the field, and knocked down 2-5 threes. Porzingis scored 12 points while collecting one rebound, one assist, and one block. The Warriors came up short against the Celtics with a 121-110 loss.
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Since then, Porzingis has been out of the lineup. At this point, he has missed six games in a row.
Porzingis returns to a Warriors team that is 32-30 on the year. They’ve won just four of their last 10 games. The team continues to deal with injuries across the roster.
While the Warriors were hoping to get a massive boost from Porzingis at the trade deadline, it’s been a slow process getting him to make an impact. Steve Kerr and the team hope that Saturday is a big step in the right direction.
The Warriors and Thunder are set for an 8:30 PM ET tip on Saturday.